Our trip to the Hautes Gorges de la Riviere Malbaie National Park got off to an inauspicious start. "Your campsite is flooded," the campground called to tell us two days before we were due to arrive.

It was a shame - we were looking forward to what looked, on the map, like an attractive site right on the river. But moving to a different, higher spot was a small inconvenience to endure in exchange for visiting one of the most beautiful parks in Quebec, situated in the heart of the Charlevoix region, about 2 1/2 hours drive northeast of Quebec City.

Plus, a hare hopped into our new campsite and had his dinner, unconcerned by our presence, which was pretty much the highlight of the trip for our boys. Porcupine sightings and moose tracks also ranked way up there.

The park’s namesake gorge, whose rock-faced cliffs towering 700 metres up from the Malbaie River are the highest east of the Rockies, was created by a fault in the earth’s crust that was further carved out by glaciers, leaving a valley of steep slopes and sheer cliff walls. Standing sentinel above it all is the regally named l’Acropole des Draveurs mountain peak, or Acropolis of the log boom drivers, in honour of the foresters who used to ride the rafts of logs down the river.

There is an arduous, 4.5-kilometre trail that climbs 800 metres to the top of the l’Acropole, providing spectacular views out over the valley and winding river below, which we had tried before several years ago and were looking forward to revisiting. But another problem with visiting the park on the May 20 opening weekend presented itself: That route was closed because it was still covered by a metre of snow.

We opted for the Riverain hike, which was created in 2006 to ease pressure on the popular l’Acropole trail, and to give hikers a less strenuous option. The Riverain is a wide, sand and gravel pathway running just over seven kilometres one-way that allows hikers to walk comfortably side-by-side, cutting through the forest and affording occasional views of the Malbaie, which was a churning mass of foam and rapids early in the season. About five kilometres in, the path ascends through a series of switchbacks up to a height of 160 metres, and then opens on beautiful views of the valley in either direction, the cliff faces and l’Acropole high above.

Most hikers, including my children, who had had enough by then, turned back at this point, along with my wife, as I continued on in the name of research. Word to the wise: there is actually a slightly better lookout another five to 10 minutes farther up the path, which also has an information board in French and English titled Read the Past, explaining how the region was formed, starting 2 billion years ago when the Laurentian mountain chain used to tower as high as Mount Everest in the Himalayas.

I followed the Riverain path another two kilometres to its end, as it wound down back to the river. I would say this part of the trail isn’t worth it for most, but it was for me, as it turned out that when I got to the bottom, I could see, just across the water, the washed out campsite we were supposed to be staying at, our fire pit sitting under a foot of water.

Other than hikes, the park offers interpretative talks in the evening - we sat in on a 45-minute talk about black bears, of which there are 60,000 in Quebec.

You can take guided riverboat cruises up the Malbaie, ride a bike along the riverside bike path, rent canoes, and fish. For those less inclined to hike, a free bus service shuttles tourists to various sites in the park, which has been named a UNESCO world biosphere reserve.

It’s a bit of a trek at 5 1/2 hours from Montreal, but the scenery, well-designed campsites that give privacy and variety of excursions to try make it a worthwhile trip. It’s also only about 1 1/2 hours from the whale-watching paradise that is Tadoussac, and the other attractions of the Charlevoix region.

If you go

To get there, drive to Quebec City, then continue on Highway 138 along the north shore of the St. Lawrence until you reach the village of St. Aime des Lacs, then follow signs for the park.

Camping in the park starts at $20 a night, plus fees for visiting the park ($5.50 a day for adults, $2.50 for kids ages 6 to 17, $11 for a family of four.) For our family of four, staying for two nights cost $90. You can buy wood and ice at the park entrance.

There are three campsites. Le Pin Blanc has 26 spots, many just feet from the fast-flowing Malbaie River, which is not the best idea if you have young children. There are toilets and showers, but no potable water. Le Cran campground has 105 sites, including several with Huttopia tents complete with beds, stove and fridge for those who would rather not bring out all the camping gear - they run $113 a night, taxes and entry fees extra. There are toilets, showers and drinking water at this site.

There is also the more remote L’Equerre campground with 25 sites, only accessible by bicycle or walking over an eight-kilometre trail, or by canoe up the Malbaie River. No drinking water available, so bring a water purifier.

For information and to make camping reservations visit the website at www.sepaq.com/pq/hgo/. There is a tab for English instructions at the top right. You can also call 1-800-665-6527 for information and reservations.

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